Bose: New Bluetooth SoundLink Speaker And On-Ear Headphones

The new SoundLink Colour Bluetooth Speaker from Bose promises a completely new design but the same SoundLike smarts within.

Weighing just 0.56kg, and measuring 12.7cm wide, 5.3cm deep and 13.5cm high, it fits easily in a handbag, knapsack or the palm of your hand.

Amping up the sound quality is Bose’s exclusive “dual-opposing passive radiators with two high-efficiency transducers for full-range sound, including deep, low-note performance”, with the Company calling this new model “a small wonder, making out-loud listening undeniably portable, powerful and fun.”

Click to enlarge

Naturally, it easily pairs with smartphones, tablet and other Bluetooth devices, with voice prompts to assist users in several languages to simplify setup, and identify which source is connected.

Click to enlarge

When you turn it off, it remembers remembers the last eight devices paired when powered back on and then automatically connects to the two most recently used, whether your iPhone, iPad, Android or other BT enabled device.

You can switch back and forth without having to disconnect, reconnect and re-pair.

You also get the expect set of controls on the product as well as a 3.5mm stereo AUX socket on the back of the enclosure.

With up to 8 hours of unplugged life from its lithium-ion battery, it fully recharges when connected to a regular USB port in “as little as three hours”, with its “exhaustively tested housing” made of elastomer and plastic and available in “Black, White, Blue, Red and Mint”.

Click to enlarge

Then there’s the new Bose SoundLink On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones which promise to deliver “a new level of performance for Bluetooth headphones” with “crisp, powerful sound, new features, and a design that’s lighter and more comfortable than conventional Bluetooth headphones.”

Importantly, Bose says it has designed these new headphones to “deliver all the audio performance of a Bose wired headphone”, and does this using “Bose Active Equalisation and TriPort technology” combined for smoother, more balanced sound.

The Company says “mid-high frequencies are natural, and low-frequencies are detailed and full. Yet, there are no cords or cables, so you can take calls, or enjoy a video, movie or music freely.”

With its new two-microphone system that rejects distractions like wind, so callers can hear you better and other sounds are lessened, you’re promised these headphones “let you hear and be heard, wherever you are”.

There’s also Bose’s “Adaptive Audio Adjustment technology” which “automatically changes volume based on speech level and ambient noise, letting you move from a quiet building to a busy street without missing a word.”

Click to enlarge

New functionality is included letting you connect up to two devices at a time and let you switch between each, so you can watch a video from your tablet while staying connected to your smartphone.

As with the SoundLink portable speaker, the headphones also come with simple voice prompts identify who’s calling, battery status and source connection.

The earcup features controls to turn the headphones on and off, answer and end a call, adjust volume, play/pause, or control tracks.

Precisely engineered “for a busy life”, Bose says they use “rugged, impact-resistant materials, glass-filled nylon, and non-corrosive stainless steel — yet they weigh only 156gms”, thus having been designed to be worn comfortably for hours.

Aiding that statement are soft ear cushions and a headband pad made of fabric used in high-end automotive applications.

Stowing the headphones away is easy as they fold smoothly for compact storage in a matching case.

Available in black or white, they charge easily with an included USB cable for up to 15 hours of listening, or up to two hours after a mere 15-minute charge.

The Bose SoundLink Colour Bluetooth speaker will retail for $179 while the SoundLink on-ear Bluetooth Headphones will retail for $329 and are on sale locally from today.

Additional the current Bose AE2w Bluetooth headphones will be renamed the SoundLink around-ear Bluetooth headphones and will remain priced at the current RRP of $299.